Spray Guns / Spraying

[mcglynn]

Generally speaking, what size nozzle would you go for to get an 'all rounder' finish?

Simply speaking im going to be painting slam panel, engine cover, grille etc and would rather spend the money saved on tinned paint on a spray gun and learn how to spray myself. Im good with aerosols but I have everything else needed for the spray gun so wanting to get one.

Going to go for HVLP as ive read and it seems recommended.

Wondering basically am I going to need different nozzles? For primer, paint or laquer?

Wanting to spray my grille etc too and have a spare bonnet I might try to smooth & paint.

[Danny2009]

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/produc...-spray-gun

I have something similar to that put everything through it make sure you mix the paint in proper mixing cups and not the gun though

[mcglynn]

1.4mm nozzle then?

Maybe worrying too much about nozzle size etc

What about running pressures & dilution ratio danny?

[Danny2009]

I think it's same with most paints but my paint supplier recommends 50% paint thinner 50% paint laquer goes on neat no mixing

So when buying paint if you think 1l of paint will do you buy 0.5l as you mix it with thinners so you will have a litre of ready to spray paint

I had a 50l think it was 8 Cfm and it was shit, got a shit finish always waiting for compressor to build up you would get a coat of paint on the grill and wait for it to build up

An it won't spray properly if it's building up as there isn't enough pressure to run the gun right pain

Got a 250l twin belt driven compressor now it's so much better runs air sander too no sanding by hand shit

Tbh unless your painting a lot or often go to a reputable paint shop and get a colour match aersol or dig deep and get the proper kit ie a big compressor

[gretsch-drummer]

The 1:1 ratio is mainly used with cellulose paint and solvent base coats.

But if you use 2k stuff read the tech sheet as some companies use different ratios i.e 4:1 for primers and lacquers etc.

As for pressure the average HVLP gun pressure is about 30/40psi when trigger fully depressed.

[Danny2009]

I only use celly paint not a fan of 2k paint all down to preference

[gretsch-drummer]

I only use celly paint not a fan of 2k paint all down to preference

All down to if you want to die a hooooorrible cyanide induced DEATH......or not.

Guessing that fact you don't have a ££££ booth and mask.

[Danny2009]

Yea both them factors contributed to me using celly

[DazzaHDI]

As said above, varies from what you use to how you use it.
Yeah I wouldn't worry so much about the size of the nozzle, that link Danny put up seems adequate depending on what you want to use it for, how often etc
Just make sure if you do spray anything to turn the pressure down on the gun and fan the spray mist so it's not one direct fast shot as you will get runs!
Oh and always clean the gun after use. What I usually do is give it a quick swill out with thinners and then spray thinners through the gun, does the job.
I don't work in a car body shop, http://www.exallotltd.co.uk that's where I work, pretty much car body finish though

[mcglynn]

Cheeky bit of advertisement there!

Yeah sounds good so nozzle size isnt really overly important going by you guys judgement.

Never done primer or laquer by spray gun, just paint on wheels and sussed out the spray pattern & flow adjustment, but that was a mates gun and never asked about the nozzle etc. Do primers & Laquers get thinned 1:1 too?

Thinking of the sealey ones on eBay.

[Danny2009]

Use celly or the proper name is cellulose paint you thin the primer and colour coat 50/50 but put the lacquer on neat pour it straight into gun and spray

[DazzaHDI]

Yeah lacquer is neat!
And as for the advertisement, we only do work for contractors like Taylor wimpey, redrow, bovis, bellway so unless your a multimillionaire who owns a big company like one of those than our company is of no use to you, unless you wanna pay over the odds for a canopy?

[mcglynn]

Haha I havent a clue who they are matey just seen the link.

I work for ConveyorTek but as you say I doubt anyone on heres gonna be buying over band conveyors etc lol.

Cheers for the advice guys ill be sure to post up results of how I get on

[Danny2009]

Get a peice of scrap card or something along the lines so you can spray onto that and see the pattern/how the paints coming out to set the gun up right

[mcglynn]

Yeah I dug out my old lidl 'parkside' gun there, tried before but I used turps as thinners which is obviously wrong lol aswell as the compressor being unregulated and unfiltered so god knows what psi it was running at.

Safe to say it was a disaster lol.

Going to sort a regulator/water trap out and thin with proper thinners this time as after using the mates gun on my wheels I got an urge to get mine set up right again, and make another go of it.

[gretsch-drummer]

Even made its own house for the ol' beast:





Does the job.